Featured What you been doing with your TRIUMPH today??

Stewart js an even bigger character in real life. His website does give you a pretty good insight though. If you like non-PC 80's comedy and don't mind being called Dear Boy by a grizzled mechanic of the old school, who chain smokes roll ups and likes putting the world to rights, he's well worth a visit. Just don't expect to get away in less than an hour... I really look forward to my annual visit, even if he does tell me off for not riding my bike enough.

And he upgraded the chain to the next thickness, whatever that was. Can't honestly remember what it was to start with I'm afraid. It certainly looks a bit more chunky and is apparently one sixteenth thicker than stock. The adjuster plate is still way further out than I thought it would be, even with one more tooth on the rear sprocket, so hopefully more heft will equal less stretch.

 

Having decided I’ll be keeping the Tiger after our little NC500 adventure, I decided to sort a Scottoiler for it. Having to get a vac tapping meaning tank and airbox coming off, I also opted to fit new iridium plugs and replace the air filter.

I know the bike was serviced before I collected it just over a month ago, but I’m sure that would just have been an oil/oil filter change and check on levels.

So, that all happened, including fitting of the Scottoiler yesterday evening/this morning.

 

There’s a conveniently capped vac connection on the throttle body assembly that I used for the push on elbow and threaded the small vacuum pipe towards the battery area.




Fitted the reservoir in the shock absorber well by screwing in to the ECU holder (removed the ECU first) cutting the tips of the screws off flush and then taping over on the inside of the holder. To be double sure of no scratch risk to the ECU.


and then because I’m a bit of an OCD freak. Sleeved the clear tube in black nylon, routed it over the top of the chain guard




and to the underside of the swing arm.
That held in place by a P clip screwed in to the (drilled and tapped M4) underside of the swing arm


and connected to a similar 2x D&T diagonally opposite fixing for the Scorpion Dual Feeder to drop the oil on to the rear sprocket (not as good IMHO as the Dual Injector type they used to do and I have on my Fireblade).


All looks rather neat, if I say so myself

 

A very tidy job indeed.

 

I had a little overnight break (was originally going to be two, but the weather on Thursday was absolutely horrible and I lost the will to ride in it.....).

Yesterday the weather was gorgeous, so I spent all day out on some cracking roads in Wales - had breakfast at the Honey Cafe in Bronllys, then went a massively convoluted way to Llandovery for a toastie at the Owl’s Nest mid - afternoon.



There were some really cracking roads to the campsite from Llandovery (about a 40 mile ride if you don’t miss a turn…longer if you take the wrong turning down a narrow steep lane which is then closed and have to execute the sketchiest u turn of your life ) to a really friendly welcome - I had cheated and booked a “cabin” for £30 rather than be bothered with a tent for a night when chances are it would be wet (I know, soft). I hadn’t been here before - it was brilliant; they offer free lifts into the village to shop or go to the pub, have a van where they cook food to order and the facilities are really basic but really clean. There were a fair few people there yesterday (I was an early arrival - it filled up after I took my pics!), all men apart from one couple where the lady had ridden pillion on a '23 plate Hayabusa (braver woman than I!!), but it had a nice atmosphere.



The weather up until yesterday evening was meant to be showery, clearing by 0900 - however I woke up to rain, looked at the weather and it was just going to get worse for the day, so I abandoned my 240 mile day I had planned as it was mostly in the direction of the worst of the weather and decided to leave before it got even more miserable. I still had a nice ride home in the rain, but did the 3 hours or so in my full waterproofs, only stopping for some fuel in Sennybridge trying to outrun it . It did, of course, stop raining about 5 miles from home .

 

Not to sound too harsh but, interesting that you put what looks like copaslip on your plugs before using a Teng torque wrench..... do you wish to expand?

 

Nice spot, I've mtb not far from there based in St Davids so thanks for the info for future use.

 

They're very welcoming to groups too .

 

Not at all - I’ve always put copper slip on plugs and torqued (in this case 12Nm) with a wrench.
Is that incorrect?

 

Maybe I’m correct after all

 

T120 Black wheels with Dunlop Roadsmart IV tires, 110/80R18 & 160/60R17.
Tubeless with Outex kit. Double front disks coming but have to wait till riding season is over.

 

First run on the Dunlop Roadsmart IV:s. Still rubbing in them though. I had no major problems with the Sportcomps except tramlining that really scared me a couple of first rides on the bike. That tendency is totally gone with the Dunlops. Turn in feels also sharper, more willing to turn. Maybe i lost a little agility to turn going to 110/80 & 160/60 instead of 100/90 & 150/70 but that balance between handling and looks weighted to looks. Also feels the front feels more soft or maybe compliant would be a better word, probably due to the Dunlop front being radial and thus having softer sidewalls. So satisfied with the change.

 

I have the Roadsmart IV SP on my Street Triple; I really like them. I also find them pretty confidence - inspiring in the wet. I currently have Bridgestones on my Fireblade, but am likely to get the Dunlops on that too.

 

The conflict here created is the torque setting of a dry verses greased fitting.
Naturally when a fitting/bolt is greased it will be tighter with grease on, even if torqued to the same setting, so the use of a torque wrench is something of dubious value.
Personally I put plugs into alloy heads with a touch of grease, to minimise dissimilar metals corrosion, then nip by feel using a short grip on a ratchet.

Each to their own, but you using grease and a torque setting is of debatable value.

 

Interesting, so would you suggest the torque value in the manual is based on a dry plug (even though lubrication is the norm) and should be reduced to say 10 Nm, rather than the recommended 12 Nm value being based on a lubricated plug?

A question to triumph (in fact every manufacturer) maybe that applies to multiple fixings that are assembled with a lubrication applied as part of build up.

 

Simple answer yes!
I agree with what you wrote there.

Friction is the real issue here and lubrication is skewing any provided torque settings.

I had a similar discussion years ago with someone regarding car wheel bolts. I always put a very slight trace of grease on the thread, being careful to keep it off the conical seats as that's what locks the bolts/nuts. Torque applied to the bolts will now make them tighter than intended by the manufacturer but seeing as we are discussing steel bolts into steel threads then I don't see it being an issue.

Into alumuinium alloys i.e. spark plugs, it may be wise to back off the torque setting slightly as you suggest.

 

Dry versus lubricated threads.

@Boothman et al a quick Google search popped this up for info.

 

Makes a mockery of all manufacturers quoting torque values in their manuals for spark plugs, or any other dissimilar bolt/thread applications then.

I’ll not be rushing to strip the fairing, tank and airbox off to take the plugs out and wind back in to a lesser value

 

Exactly, hence my initial comment here or to anyone unaware.
I didn't want to come across argumentative or condescending so I'm glad you've taken my advice in the manner it was intended.

 

Not at all - I was very much unaware of this and have been doing home mechanicing on cars and bikes for over 40 years. In all that time I’ve never thought to question the torque setting of plugs in the manual being for a dry rather than lubricated fix.